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In the gospels of Matthew and Luke it is recorded that Jesus was led into the wilderness (by the Holy Spirit) to be tempted by the devil. I believe these accounts leave us with an effective blueprint for how to navigate through our own time in the wilderness - where we are sure to encounter temptations from the devil. Be sure to watch this lesson for more insight into why the Spirit of God would lead Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted.

As we all look forward to the potential for spiritual growth in the year ahead, the account of Jesus' temptation is a healthy reminder that there is also plenty of potential for sin. So let's take a look at three things we can do to be overcomers this year.

1. Pray preventively about where you are led.

A good barometer of a Christian’s maturity is whether or not they pray preventively, or only reactionary. Reactionary prayer is absolutely necessary. “Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray… ” (James 5:13a). However, we should'nt just talk to God when we’re in trouble, we should talk to him without ceasing - including, preventive prayers. So what’s a preventative prayer? Preventative prayer is simply praying about what lies ahead with the intention of not falling into temptation.

A great example is found in the model prayer in Matthew 6:13. Here Jesus teaches us to pray (daily, according to v11) for God to lead us not into temptation and deliver from the evil one.  BTW, doesn't this sound familiar? It should. Remeber, Jesus was led into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. The reason we should be praying preventively is because the devil has revealed an m.o. of asking God to allow us to be tempted. Let the reader remember what Jesus said to Peter in Luke 22:31. Satan wants to devour you this year. Preventative prayer about where you are led is a prayer against the devil's desires to see you fail. We will need preventative prayer to overcome temptation.

2. Know “what is written.”

Each time Jesus is tempted in the wilderness He confidently counters with “it is written.” Knowing what is written disarms the curiosity of tempestuous situations. Sure, you might still fall into temptation due to unrepentant fleshly desires, but if you know what is written, you aren’t left guessing: is this right??? or Should I be doing this??? “It is written” means we KNOW how God feels about what we’re encountering.

Having the word of God written on your heart and stored up in your mind won’t just help you during moments of temptation, it will also make those moments less of a temptation. James gives us an interesting insight into the process of falling into temptation. He says that people are “tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed” (James 1:14). Storing the word of God in our heart and mind has the byproduct of pushing out fleshly desires. More "it is written" means less "own evil desires." Jesus says it this way in Matthew 6:21, where your treasure is (what you store up), your heart (desire) will follow. If you want to be an overcomer, know what’s written.

3. Resist.

James tells us plainly, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you” (James 4:7). Now, he’ll be back for sure (Luke 4:13), but part of the process of overcoming temptation is showing the tempter that the one in you is stronger than the one in the world (1 John 4:4). We show that through resisting. Jesus never moved an inch while being tempted by the devil. In fact his perpetual resistance seemed to embolden His confidence. Jesus tells satan after attempt number three, to get lost (Matthew 4:10)! If we’re going to have that kind of confidence in God's ability to bring us through temptations, we’re going to have to Resist. Resist. Resist.

Preventative prayer. A healthy diet of God’s word. Resistence. May we all overcome the enemy's snares this year.